I have recently come across a series of 1912 Antarctic images by British photographer Herbert Ponting. I have to confess with deep shame that I did not know mr. Ponting, but his images are some of the most amazing I have seen by anyone. This is particular is striking:

I've had the good fortune to see many of Ponting and Hurley's photographs in print in the “Heart of the Great Unknown” exhibition from the Royal collection (http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/microsites/HOTGA/) when it came here to Christchurch. They are not only wonderful art but deeply affecting, being not just images of the dead, but images of the doomed. I'd rate some of them among the greatest photographs ever made.The museum housing the exhibition was badly damaged in the February earthquake but I understand the photographs and exhibits survived and have been returned safely to the U.K.

“The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition” by Caroline Alexander contains many amazing photos taken by Frank Hurley during Ernest Shackleton’s epic Antarctic expedition in 1914. The text is good, too, although I preferred “Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage” by Alfred Lansing . Ideally get both books, the former for the photos and the latter for the text. It’s an amazing true story and should be on the reading list for anyone heading to Antarctica or anyone who enjoys reading about historic adventures.

“The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition” by Caroline Alexander contains many amazing photos taken by Frank Hurley during Ernest Shackleton’s epic Antarctic expedition in 1914. The text is good, too, although I preferred “Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage” by Alfred Lansing . Ideally get both books, the former for the photos and the latter for the text. It’s an amazing true story and should be on the reading list for anyone heading to Antarctica or anyone who enjoys reading about historic adventures.

+10 to that, Dean.

If anybody had written Shackleton's story as fiction, nobody would believe it. And the photos are incredible.

For the next round of great exploration images we will have to wait until the first photographer lands on Mars. Assuming he or she isn't too distracted by the Internet to want to go. Was appalled to learn recently that young people no longer even want to visit the national parks, much less the South Pole.

Have always been fascinated by the paths through which certain kinds of people are drawn into remarkable situations. Schackleton is one of the classic cases.

The collection seemed to have survived fine when I saw it at The Queen's Gallery in London earlier this year. Some of the photos can be seen in Ponting's With Scott to the Pole and there is also a more recently rediscovered cache of pictures that Scott took himself in The Lost Photographs of Captain Scott.

I own a first edition set of Shackleton's "Heart of the Antarctic" which contains fantastic photos. The "Endurance" saga is truly remarkable from every aspect. Perhaps the most poignant scene is the one when Shackleton and Hurley return to the half-sunken ship to retrieve Hurleys plate-glass negatives. They dove into the water to pull them up from Hurley's cabin, then spent a couple of hours on the ice, reviewing them. They smashed all but a small number, so that they wouldn't be tempted to go back for them later. Can you imagine!! Now THAT'S editing.